


A Broken Girl With A Broken Past

by Violent_Bulldog



Category: Marvel Cinematic Universe, The Avengers (Marvel Movies), The Avengers (Marvel) - All Media Types
Genre: Clint Barton & Natasha Romanov Friendship, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Gen, Hurt Wanda Maximoff, Hurt/Comfort, Implied/Referenced Self-Harm, Implied/Referenced Suicide, Natasha Romanov Is Not A Robot, Panic Attacks, Post-Avengers: Age of Ultron (Movie), Pre-Captain America: Civil War (Movie), Pre-Civil War (Marvel), Self-Harm, Suicide Attempt, Tony is a asshole but didn't mean to be... sorta, Wanda Maximoff Needs a Hug
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-05-12
Updated: 2019-05-12
Packaged: 2020-03-02 06:10:06
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, Graphic Depictions Of Violence, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,999
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18805309
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Violent_Bulldog/pseuds/Violent_Bulldog
Summary: Wanda had always been quiet around the Avengers.Maybe it was because she didn't trust them fully. Maybe it was because she was scared of them. Maybe it was because she was just a quiet person.They were never quite sure. But they knew that she had secrets. Lots of them.They did know that she was strong. Never letting her emotions take over. Or so they thought...





	A Broken Girl With A Broken Past

 

Wanda had always been quiet around the Avengers.

Maybe it was because she didn't trust them fully. Maybe it was because she was scared of them. Maybe it was because she was just a quiet person. 

They were never quite sure. But they knew that she had secrets. Lots of them.

They did know that she was strong. Never letting her emotions take over. Or so they thought...

 

Clint had been closest to the teen after her brother saved his life. He had guilt building in him and the only way he could deal with it was by talking to the girl, letting both of them vent. Wanda never blamed Clint for her brother's death but it made her feel better having someone to talk to about him. It was normal for them to meet up on a Saturday night when most others were sleeping and to just talk about whatever was on their minds. 

One night though, Clint had been waiting in one of the lounge rooms for her but she never appeared. He hadn't thought about it too much and guessed that she either fell asleep or had just lost track of time. He wavered between going and checking on her or to leave her be. He eventually caved and went to her room.

"Wanda? You in there?" He asked, knocking on the door gently. He got no reply.

He knocked slightly louder but still got nothing.

He sighed before gently pushing the door open. He wasn't prepared for what he saw. Not in the slightest.

The teenager was curled up into the corner surrounded by red. But it wasn't her powers.

It was her blood.

The sleeves to her hoodie were rolled up and there were dozens of scars, fresh and old, scattering her forearms. Her right hand shakily held a razor blade which was covered in blood. There were two bottles of anti-depressants next to her but they both seemed to be sealed. She was curled into herself, her knees pulled tightly to her chest and her head hiding in them. Clint could hear quiet sobs from the girl.

He quickly jumped into action and went to grab a medkit. Wanda hadn't noticed his presence, still caught up in her thought. Her body was shaking with sobs.

Clint came back just as quickly as he left, carefully approaching the teen.

"Wanda?" His voice was soft as he knelt next to her.

She looked up quickly and wiped her eyes, sniffling. She didn't dare look him in the eyes.

"Let's get you patched up, alright?" He got a weak nod in response. 

He slowly pried the blade from her hand and placed it on the bedside table, wiping the blood from it first. He took her left wrist into his light grip and gently started to clean up the blood. She winced at the light pressure and he muttered a quiet apology.

Once the blood was mostly cleaned up, he bandaged her arm gingerly. He did the same with her right arm. Both of them stayed silent throughout excluding Wanda's quiet whimpers and Clint's soft apologies.

When he was done, he placed the remains of the medkit onto the bedside table along with the bottles of anti-depressants. Wanda still refused to make eye contact with him as he sat next to her.

"I'm not mad at you, just so you know. I'm more... confused, I guess?" He sighed quietly. She stayed silent, looking at the floor.

"Please, just talk to me. I hate seeing you like this kid" Clint looked over to her.

"It is my fault. Many people died because of me. I... I could of helped them. Look what happened to them. Seoul, Sokovia... Pietro" Her voice broke and Clint could see the tears forming in her eyes again. She pulled her knees to her chest even tighter.

"Hey. You tried your best to save them. You did everything you could. You can't blame yourself for that" 

"I always will"

Clint gazed at the girl, feeling his heart tense. He placed his hand lightly on her knee. She tenses for a second before relaxing slightly.

"I know how you feel. I blame myself for so much of the shit that's happened. Do you remember what I said in that little hut back at Sokovia?" He got a weary nod in response

"It's your fault and it's everyone's fault. But I'm going back there because it's my job. It doesn't matter what you did, or what you were. If you go out there, you fight, and you fight to kill. It's your job now too. You made the choice to become an Avenger. It's the worst feeling when you can't save someone. But you try and you try your best. _You_ have saved thousands of people. But you can never save everyone. So please, don't blame yourself" Clint held her hands in his own as he spoke. She eventually looked him in the eyes and he saw fresh tears start to form.

Before they could fall though, she engulfed him in a tight hug. He returned the embrace, rubbing her back gently.

"Ďakujem, otče" She whispered. Clint didn't know what she had said but guessed that it was a thanks.

"It's alright kid. It will be alright"

 

After that night, Clint always tried to make sure that she was okay. If it was his turn to make breakfast then he made her an extra pancake, if someone was being too hard on her in training he told them to lay off and offered to train with her instead. He tried to be there for her as much as he could be. He tried...

 

One weekend, Clint had gone back home to be with his family. He had asked Natasha to keep an eye on Wanda, just in case. Wanda had asked him not to tell anyone and he had kept that promise. When he asked Natasha, she had been confused but agreed. She never told the others how much she cared about the younger girl. She wanted to help protect her from whatever the issue was.

So when, during a team meeting, Tony called Wanda out for being reckless and dangerous, Natasha stepped in and defended the girl by saying that if she hadn't been slightly reckless then they would all be dead. Tony protested, saying that it wasn't a good enough excuse for what she did. He called her a hazard and told her that she was dangerous for the team and for civilians. He muttered under his breath about how it wasn't a surprise that the world was scared of her. That pushed her over the edge. Before Natasha could say anything, Wanda stood up and swiftly left the room. There was a stunned silence for a minute, which felt more like an hour before Nat stood to follow the girl, calling Tony a jackass as she exited.

She sighed as the door slammed shut behind her and she started to make her way around the building. She checked the main lounges first before heading to the sleeping quarters. She listened for any signs of the younger girl as she went towards Wanda's room. She heard muffled noises from it but couldn't make out what they were. Natasha knocked on the door gently, waiting for any type of response. She got nothing. 

"Wanda?" She called, keeping her voice quieter. She still got nothing but could still hear the muffled noises.

Nat slowly pushed the door open, slightly surprised that it was unlocked. She glanced around the room trying to find Wanda but saw no signs of her. Until she silenced herself and followed the muffled sounds. The bathroom. Natasha looked at the semi-closed door and pushed it open. 

Wanda stood by the sink, gripping the edge so hard that her knuckles were chalk white. She had her head down, facing towards the sink, breathing erratically. Natasha could see her body shaking with each uneven breath. Then it hit her. _Wanda was having a panic attack._ Nat thought hard for a second before stepping fully into the room. Wanda jumped round to face her, her expression full of fear.

"Hey, you're okay, it's gonna be okay. Just breath for me" Natasha said in a gentle yet stern voice. Panic attacks were, unfortunately, common for the group. 

Wanda tried to slow her breathing but she looked like she was choking on her tongue. She slowly sank to the floor and pulled her knees up to her chest, rocking slightly. Natasha sank down in front of her and cautiously put her hands on Wanda's knees. The younger girl looked at Nat, trembling.

"Wanda, listen to me. You're safe here. Nothing is going to hurt you right now. You're safe. You are safe. I need you to breathe for me, okay? Come on, nice and slow" Wanda closed her eyes and, slowly but surely, her breathing started to slow down. She whimpered quietly a few times, her body still trembling slightly.

Natasha glanced around the room quickly, a shiny object by the sink catching her eye. A razor blade. It was clean so she took that as a good sign. She looked back at Wanda who was watching her cautiously. When their eyes met, the younger girl ducked her head down quickly. Natasha took her hands gently. Wanda looked up, unsure.

"It's okay. He didn't mean to lash out like that, he's just stressed. I know that's not a good defence but it's the truth" Natasha waited for some type of response. She got none.

"Clint told me to watch over you well he was gone. He didn't tell me why, but I get it now. I know how you feel... I used to hurt myself" She admitted. Normally, she would have buried those memories but she knew that this had a chance at helping Wanda.

Wanda looked slightly shocked and puzzled.

"Y-You used to...? But you stopped?" She whispered, her voice hoarse. Natasha nodded.

"How? How did you stop?" 

Natasha swallowed nervously. She had never opened up about this to anyone, not even Clint. She wanted to help the girl but this was getting pretty damn personal.

"I-Uh... Well, I found other things to put my pain into. Training, piano lessons, hobbies to distract myself from it" She stuttered slightly. Wanda nodded slightly, then got lost in her thought.

"Hobbies..." She hummed, thinking out loud. Her eyes snapped up to meet Natasha's again. 

"Did you teach yourself piano or get lessons from someone?" She asked slowly, like she was mulling something over in her head.

"I got lessons from an old friend" Natasha replied.

"Do you think I could get lessons. For guitar?" Wanda asked, a hopeful glint in her eyes. Natasha smiled slightly, happy to see that the girl was calm now, dare she say happy.

"Yeah, definitely. Tony could find someone" Wanda smiled, but it faltered quickly.

"W-Would he let me?" Natasha's smile faltered too, sighing.

"Yes. He does care about you. He's just... cautious. He's extra cautious around you because of your parents. He still feels bad about that" She said carefully. Wanda just nodded slightly.

"I do not hate him for that. Not anymore. But it hurt. Pietro and I blamed him, using our anger to survive. Using our hatred for him to live. He messed up. But I do not hate him anymore" She mumbled

"I think he needs to hear you say that" Natasha said, softly. Wanda nodded again, smiling weakly.

"I will. But not tonight. Thank you, Natasha. You are a good person" 

Natasha smirked slightly as she stood up, walking to the bathroom door.

"You're a good person too, Wanda. Goodnight" She said, leaving the bathroom.

Wanda heard the door to her room close behind Natasha. She sighed before standing up, putting the razor blades away safely on a small shelf and looking at herself in the mirror.

"Bude to dobre... Bude to dobre. Si tu v bezpečí"

**Author's Note:**

> Ďakujem, otče = "Thank you, Father"
> 
> Bude to dobre. Si tu v bezpečí = "It will be well. You're safe here"/(It's going to be alright)


End file.
